Village Still Undecided About Repaying $14,000 To State

December 12, 2000|By Donna Kiesling.

Orland Hills may decide by the end of the year whether to repay money it received four years ago for repairs to a retaining wall, a village official said.

"The question is whether it's reasonable to pursue the issue," Village Administrator John Daly said recently, citing the cost of fighting the state's reimbursement order. "It's not like they're jumping up and down saying, `Give me my money back.'"

A spokesman for the Illinois Emergency Management Agency said last month that because Orland Hills did not meet a Nov. 9 deadline to return more than $14,000 it received for repairs to the wall in 1996, it intends to file a claim with the state comptroller's office allowing the management agency to garnishee funds, such as taxes or grants designated for the village, until the debt is repaid. One option village officials are pondering is whether to seek a federal administrative review of the order.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency requested a refund in 1999 after determining that the wall was located outside municipal boundaries on property owned by homeowners and did not qualify for funding. Orland Hills unsuccessfully appealed that decision.

Funds available for such repairs originate with the federal government but are administered by the state.